The World Before Her

Directed by Nisha Pahuja

Date

November 20, 2019

About Project

DIRECTOR

Nisha Pahuja

COUNTRY

CANADA

RUNNING TIME

90 mins

YEAR

2012

LANGUAGE

English, Hindi with English Subtitles

ABOUT THE FILM

India loves beauty contests, which for the winner can mean stardom, a lucrative career and freedom from a patriarchal society. But Hindu fundamentalists view pageants as immoral and a symbol of the Westernization of India. As the film follows contestants at a month-long beauty boot camp, we also visit an annual camp run by the Durgha Vahini, the women’s wing of the militant fundamentalist movement. Here girls learn what it means to be good Hindu women and how to fight against Islam, Christianity and Western influences by any means necessary. Winner Best Canadian Feature HotDocs 2012.